Deliberate shenanigans from a designated courtroom troll, Robert Costello, meant to caricature “judicial temperament”. Trump’s defense team tries to leverage the jury with a stunt to provoke a mistrial and an ‘overturning-on-appeal’. Seems like more cranky client Trump at work, making the defense look sillier but trying to get sustained objections into jurors’ consciousnesses. Costello returns to the stand on Tuesday, perhaps with his clown shoes on, not quite as contemptuous as the Chicago Seven.
“If you don’t like my ruling, you don’t give me side eye and you don’t roll your eyes.”
Former President Donald Trump may have violated his gag order Monday when he spoke to reporters outside his criminal hush money trial, according to a political analyst.
Washington Post reporter Aaron Blake raised concerns about Trump's statement regarding Robert Costello, the defense witness whose questionable courtroom antics saw Justice Juan Merchan clear the courtroom so he could chastise him.
"You saw what happened to a highly respected lawyer today, Bob Costello," Trump told reporters in a speech that also quoted a 1990s romantic comedy. "Wow."
www.rawstory.com/...
New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, after becoming visibly angered by Trump defense witness Robert Costello, cleared the courtroom of the jury and the press before admonishing the “MAGA-friendly lawyer” Monday afternoon in the ex-president’s criminal “hush money” trial.
Calling it a “brawl,” The Daily Beast set the scene: “After Costello, a former prosecutor, was reprimanded for delivering outbursts in the court whenever he was interrupted or told not to answer a question that had been objected to and sustained, Costello began to stare down the judge.”
Before the reprimand, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins reported: “Twice now the judge has sustained an objection and Costello answered regardless. Judge Merchan addresses him directly to not answer if he’s sustained the objection.
‘Jesus,’ Costello mutters after it happens again. ‘I’m sorry,’ the judge, visibly annoyed, says to him. ‘I’m sorry?'”
And then, the admonition.
Here’s how it went down, according to MSNBC host and legal contributor Katie Phang.
“Judge Merchan is ANGRY,” she observed, before reporting the dialogue:
“MERCHAN: ‘I’d like to discuss proper decorum in my courtroom’
MERCHAN: ‘If you don’t like my ruling, you don’t say ‘Jeez’ ‘
MERCHAN: You don’t say ‘strike it’ because I’m the only one who can strike it.
MERCHAN: ‘You don’t give me side eye and you don’t roll your eyes’
COSTELLO: I understand.”
www.alternet.org/...
As Tom Tomorrow’s summary shows, it was simply a ham-fisted attempt at a “trial within a trial “ to discredit Michael Cohen.
UPDATE: Monday, May 20, 2024 · 4:52:18 PM EDT · Tom Tomorrow
Merchan, sounding incredulous to me: You’re asking me as a matter of law to declare Michael Cohen untrustworthy and take this case out of the jury’s hands.
“You said that his lies are irrefutable, do you think he’s going to fool twelve New Yorkers?”
UPDATE: Monday, May 20, 2024 · 4:45:58 PM EDT · Tom Tomorrow
Jury has left for the day. Prosecutor says she has about a half an hour left with Costello for tomorrow. Judge expects defense to rest tomorrow and jury will be dismissed. Blanche requesting an immediate order of dismissal — no dispute that Cohen provided legal services, he says. No evidence that invoices were entered falsely. Absolutely no false business filing. Secondly, no evidence that there’s any intent for fraud by President Trump. No attempt by Pres. Trump to mislead or falsify. No evidence that there’s any effort to conceal anything by Trump or anyone involved.
This is clearly going to get shot down immediately and feels like something the client is insisting on.
Lanny Davis suggests that the ‘smoking gun’ remains available to the Trump jury:
"Missed in the hype by talking heads on cables of this dramatic 'Perry Mason moment' was the fact that the Trump lawyer’s melodramatic shout was not evidence to be considered by the jury. Just a lawyer shouting. Also missed was reporting on the most crucial document in the entire trial – the Weisselberg Document, which has been introduced into evidence and will be studied by the jury."
That document, argued Davis, provides clear evidence of Trump's guilt that doesn't require voters to believe Cohen is trustworthy.
www.rawstory.com/...
